Electroluminescent light means



Jan. 10, 56 H. A. MICHLIN 2,730,644

ELECTROLUMINESCENT LIGHT MEANS Filed April 10 1951 5 s x T [5 LIT i l'l 1': I 1: i l '1' 0 Iii S E E I I: .I:

ll i 4 9 ELECTROLUMIINESCENT LIGHT MEANS Hyman A. Michlin, New York, N. Y.

Application April 10, 1951, Serial No. 220,173

' 1 Claim. or. sis-nos tric energy applied thereto, such as varying electric energy; and an example of which is the ZnS:Cu phosphor, the activator Cu of which can be varied, as is known to the art, to produce an emission in different parts of the spectrum of visible light.

Referring to the drawing, the combined layers of electroluminescent substances 3, 7 and 8, the transparent electrode layers 1 and 4 and the transparent insulation layers 6 are so thin as to form a controllable light source from a thin electroluminescent unit. Each thin layer of electroluminescent substances 3, 7 or 8 is capable of luminescing in a diiferent part of the visible spectrum on application of varying electric energy thereto, and is sandwiched between a thin transparent electrode layer 1 and a thin transparent electrode layer 4 so as to form separate electroluminescent assemblies, and each of said assemblies is arranged in superimposed relation to each other separated by a'thin transparent layer of insulation 6 so as to form a thin color controllable electroluminescent unit with the transparent insulation layers 9 forming the protecting ends of the said thin electroluminescent unit.

The thin transparent electrode layers 1 are impressed with a potential from electric energy sources 2 and the thin transparent electrode layers 4 are impressed with a difierent potential from electric energy sources so that by varying the potential differences and varying the in- United States Patent 0 tensities of potential difierences transmitted to each electroluminescent assembly there is effected a control of the resultant color emitted from the electroluminescent unit in accordance with the intensities of potential differences transmitted to each electroluminescent assembly. The potential differences between the electric energy sources 2 and 5 to produce electroluminescence to electroluminescent substances are known to the prior art, and which can be produced by varying electric energy. In this embodiment varying potential is used to produce electroluminescence.

Arrow 10 indicates the viewing direction from a viewer.

The drawing and specification are for illustration purposes and are not to be construed as restrictive; and, therefore, While I have disclosed one particular means for practicing my invention, it will be obvious that other structures may be of equal advantage, and, I therefore, do not wish to be limited to the particular method set set forth above except as my invention is so limited by the appended claim.

I claim:

A thin electroluminescent light means capable of being electrically controlled to vary resultant color emitted therefrom comprising a plurality of thin electroluminescent layers, each of said thin electroluminescent layers luminescing in a difierent part of the light spectrum, a thin transparent electrode layer on each side of each of said thin electroluminescent layers to thereby form separate electroluminescent assemblies, each of said electroluminescent assemblies arranged in superimposed relation to each other, and a thin layer of transparent insulation separating each of said electroluminescent assemblies.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,248,985 Gray July 15, 1941 2,270,373 Kallmann et al. Jan. 20, 1942 2,446,791 Schroeder Aug. 10, 1948 2,455,710 Szegho Dec. 7, 1948 2,516,314 Goldsmith July 25, 1950 2,518,200 Sziklai et a1. Aug. 8, 1950 2,252,386 Sziklai et al. May 8, 1951 2,580,073 Burton Dec. 25, 1951 2,590,018 Koller et al Mar. 18, 1952 2,594,740 DeForest et al Apr. 29, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Scheraga et 211.: Video Handbook, second printing, 1949, William F. Boyce, publisher, page 61. Copy in Div. 54. 

